Automatic valve timer and control



Aug. 14, 1923.

1,4650114 J. J. LEONARD AUTOMATIC VALVE TIMER AND CONTROL :5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24. 1921 INV ENTOR ATTORN EY J. J. LEONARDAUTOMATIC VALVE TIMER AND CONTROL Aug. 14, 1923.

Filed Jan. 24, 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 2 J J Leonard/1 A'FI'ORNEY WITNBS:

Aug. 14, 1923. 1,46%2 2 J. J. LEQNARD AUTOMATIC VALVE TIMER AND CONTROLFiled Jan. 24. 1921 3 SheetsSheet 5 mvENTora o H BY 1. wrrmzss: vm-mmnzv Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

s EED stares JosEEII- JQLEO ARD; OF BAN'IOUL, ILLINOIS.

" To all whom it may camera.-

Meanieareier entice AU'roMA'rifc vAIivE TIMER, AND CONTROL.

Application filed January 24, 1921. Serial No. 439,558.

V the invention; is to provide valve structures and means forcontrolling and timing the operation otthevalve structuresforn'utomatically regulating the's'up'ply of fuel to the cylinders ofthe engine and the exhaust of spent gases therefrom, d endent upon thepeed ofoperation and the lo'ad' of the engine. r V

More specifical'ly',=the invention comprehends the 'provi'sion ofja;plurality of rotary valve discs, rotated from the crank shaft of theengine and provided with segmental openings'to control th e'i'nljet andexhaust of theengine cylinder,*ai 1d rockable valvediscs operated fromthefcraiikshaft of the engine and governor controlledi'or automaticallregulating the active" sizes ofthe openings in the' valve discs; by therotation of the cranksliaftofthe engine. r g A A further olo'ect of theinvention is toprovide a valve structure as specifiedwher'ein the"active opening-sot the inlet val'ves',or

- tlie' tir'ne of regulation of'the openings in the rotary androckablediscsg'is proportionately increased a'sthe speed oftheenginincreases ian'd viceversa"; andalsqwherein the openings of the" exhaustports is proportionately advanceda's th'espeed of the engineinereasesoris retardedas the fsp'eedof the engine dereases;;therebyperniittingyth'e utilization of the maximum amount of the ex ansive"toree of thedu el' and also permittin thorough scavenging-bf th e'engiI'ie.

gtlienohj'ects' o'f thefinventiorf will appear ir'f the-following"detailed description and in the acconip anying drawings "wherein": a

F igi 1 isaside elevatiOnOf an internal "combustion eii gine providedwith the" inipr'ovediautoinaticfvalve structure.

Fig. 2 is a top plan of an engine showing the improved valve-structureapplied. Fig. 3' is a vertical section through the engine taken on theline 8-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail" View, partly in section, of the governor.

' Fig. 5 is a detailed view of one of the valve discs with the automaticvalve structure.

ing the head 1 of the engine 2, which may he of any approvedconventional type, and which has the usual crank shaft 3 rotatable byreciprocation of the pistons 4 of the em gine'f and from which crankshaft 3 the power is taken. The sidewalls 5 of the head 1 of the engineare provided with bosses 6 on their outer surfaces at spaced distancesalong their length the said bosses being properly spaced relativetothecylinders 7 OIF the" engine to permit the forming of the inlet andexhaust openings 8 and 9 respectively therein in proper relationto thefcylinder; The outer surfaces of the bosses 6 are preferablyfinished andstuds lQ project outwardly from the centers of the bosses, and rotatablysupport disc valves 11. The disc valves 11 are provided with segmentalopenings 12,'and they haveworin gear teeth 130n their peripheries forrotat ing the 'discs l l, to bring the openings 12 in registration withthe openings 8. ,7

' Control discs 14 are rotatably mounted upon the studs 10- and engagetheouter sides of the discs-11. The control discs 1?: are provided withsegmental openings 15 adapted for registration with the openings 12 andinlet'openingsS, for controlling'the supply of fuel to" the cylinders 7or the exhaust of the fuel from the cylinders 7. Each ofthe controldiscs 14 has a radiating arr'n lti'thereon the outer end of which isforked, as sh'ownatli and connected to a 'rod 18,"in"any suitablemanner,'preferably by means of diametrically extending pins 19.] The'rod"l8 is slidably supported by Suitable beariHgs'QO formed on the headl of the engine Z'and'has onejend; inserted in the longitudinal bore 21'of the governor shaft-22. The rod 18 has "a block 23 mount- Referrin'gmore'particularly to the drawed thereon and held against longitudinalmovement relative to the rod by the annular flanges 23 formed upon therod. The weights 23 of the governor are connected to the block 23 byarms 23 and they are also connected to the governor drive sprocket 30 bysuitable arms as is ordinary in governor construction. The governordrive sprocket 30 is rotatable relative to the rod 18 and thus as theweights 23 of the governor mechanism spread the rod 18 will be movedlongitudinally to rock the discs lt to regulate the active sizes of theinlet openings of the engine in accordance with the speed of the engineso as to insure feeding of the proper quantity of combustible fuelthereto. In other words as the speed, or R. P. M., of the engineincreases the control valve 14: is rocked to cause longer activeregistration of the openings 12 and 15. An expanding spiral spring 27 ismounted about the end of the rod 18 remote from the governor mechanism24: and it engages against the head 28 formed on the rod and one of thebearings 20 for returning the discs 14 to their normal positions, uponthe stopping of the engine and also for moving the discs lat in areverse direction, to that in which they are moved by the governormechanism, as the speed of the engine is reduced thereby providingpositive automatic control for the disc 14 for regulating the sizes ofthe inlet openings into the engine in accordance withthe speed of thelatter.

The governor mechanism 24: is rotated from the valve disc drive shaft 29by means of a sprocket and chain drive structure 30 or if so desired, itmay be driven by a train of gearing. The shaft 29 is connected by anysuitable power transmission mechanism,

such as sprockets and chain 31 from the crank shaft 3 of the engine. I

The shaft 29 which is rotatably supported by the bearings 32, attachedat spaced inter vals to the engine head 1, has worms 33 thereon atspaced intervals which mesh with theworm gear teeth 13 on the valvediscs 11 for rotating these valve discs to bring the .ports or openings12 into registration with the openings 8 and 15 to permit the inlet offuel in the cylinder. The timing of the valves may be proportioned bythe ratio of the sprockets in the transmission mechanism 31'and also bythe ratio of worms 33 and worm gear teeth 13.

The control discs 14 on the exhaust side of the engine are operated by arod 36 the operation of which is identical to the operation of the rod18, and a shaft 37 is mounted along the exhaust side of the enginecarrying worms 38 for rotating the valve discs 11 whichcontrol theexhaust ports of the engine. The discs 11, on the exhaust side of theengine, are rotated in the opposite direction to the discs 11 on theintake side of the engine, by the worms 38, which are cut opposite tothe worms 33, and this causes earlier opening of the exhaust valvesduring high speed of the engine.

' The bosses 6 and valve disc 11 and control discs 14; are enclosed insuitable casings 39 which, on the inlet side of the engine, have arms 40which connect to the inlet manifold 41, while on the exhaust side of theengine they have suitable branches 42 which communicate with the exhaustmanifold 43.

The discs 14; fit snugly against the inner surfaces of the housings 39and these housings, preferably, have a suitable lubricant in their lowerportions, the height of the lubricant being regulated by the overflowpipes 50, which connect one housing to the other, and the return pipe51, which connects the end housing to the crank easing of the engine.Oil is supplied to the housings 39 from the crank casing by a pumpstructure 52, of any conventional type, and through a supply pipe 53.discs 14 are provided with substantially L shaped grooves 54 in theirfaces which engage the discs 11 and these L shaped grooves open out atthe periphery of the discs, substantially tangential of thecircumference of the discs to cause themto pick up lubricant which willbe drawn therethrough by the rotating action of the discs 11 forlubricating the outer surfaces ofthe rotating discs 11.- The bosses 6are also provided with lubricant feed grooves or ducts 55 similar to thegrooves 5 1 and these curves 55 supply the necessary lubricant to theinner surfaces of the rotary discs 11.

It is, of course, to be understood that the invention may be constructedin various other manners and the parts associated in other relationsand, therefore, I do not desire to be limited in any manner except asset forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described my. invention what I claim is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine including inletand exhaust ports and a crank shaft, of controldiscs for controlling theactive area of said inlet and exhaust ports, a rod connected to saidcontrol discs, a governor mechanism for moving said rod longitudinallyin one direction to move said control discs, power transmission meansconnecting said governor and crankshaft, and a spring for moving saidrod and control discs in the direction opposite to their direction ofmovement under action of said governor.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine including inletand exhaust ports and a crank shaft, of control discs for controllingthe active areaof said inlet'and exhaust ports, a rod connected to saidcontrol discs, a governor mechanism for moving said rod longitudinallyin one direction The rockable i to move said control discs, powertransmis- WOID'I' teeth formed upon the peripheries sion meansconnecting said governor and of said valve discs a shaft rotated by saidcrank shaft, a spring for moving said rod crank shaft, and worms on saidshaft mesh- 1 and control discs in thedirection opposite to ing with theperipheral worm'ge'ar teeth on 5 their direction of movement underaction of said valve discs.

said governor valve discs for controlling In testimony whereof I afiixmy signature. the inlet and exhaust of fuel to the engine, JOSEPH J.LEONARD.

